Benton, Ill. -Before you read any further, you can go ahead and file this column under the “Life Isn’t Fair” category.
On a day when his biggest concern should have been if he got that special gift he asked for, Bennett Page was given a big, fat reality check. When he should have been asking for seconds on cake and ice cream, Page was asking a doctor what his chances were for survival.
On February 20, 2007 — Page’s 13th birthday — he was diagnosed with leukemia.
If you don’t know what leukemia is, it’s a form of cancer in the blood that attacks the good cells and kills them. People with leukemia are at high risk for infection and disease.
As he entered his teens, Page was learning about cell counts and chemotherapy, while others his age were busy with cell phones and Myspace. Fast forward a year and-a-half later and Page is in remission and is ready for anything.
But this hasn’t been an easy 18 months. After initially seeing a doctor when flu-like symptoms just would not go away, Page’s routine has included bone marrow biopsys, chemotherapy and lots and lots of visits to the doctor.
“I got sick sometimes after the chemo,” Page said. “And sometimes I felt fine … but there were a lot of times I just wanted to lay in bed with the television off and sleep all day.”
That is quite a contrast from Page’s life before he was diagnosed. But, when he could, he was out living life to the fullest.
“If he’s got 30 minutes or an hour where he is feeling good he gets after it,” his mom Cindy said. “He does as much as he can.”
Right now, Page is in the maintenance phase and he has two more years of treatment to go. A part of the treatment can be done at home, which is comforting. Except for a stay in the hospital from July 8-16, things are kind of getting back to normal as school is set to begin.
“Right now I’m taking chemo and steroid pills and I go to the hospital once a month for additional chemotherapy,” Page said.
“It’s been a tough time, but our family, friends, and our faith in God has carried us through,” Cindy said. “Bennett is a remarkable young man.”
Bennett is the son of Sid III and Cindy Page. His grandparents are Sid Jr. and Jane Page and Glen and Carolyn Johnston. He has a brother, Hamilton, too.
His progression was never more evident than last Friday night, when he played an entire baseball game for the first time in many moons. Benton’s pony team lost the game, but Page was pumped about the experience.
“It made me feel pretty good,” he said. “I was surprised that I was getting to play the whole game.”
Page didn’t know about the start at first base until he got to the game and looked at the board to see who was playing.
“It has been hard having to just sit and watch everyone else play, so it was great,” said Page. “And I got several assists, two unassisted outs and two singles.”
But, even though Page is on the road to recovery, he still has to watch what he does.
“I’m careful about what I do,” he said. “I stay at home when I have really low counts but, when I can, I still go and do stuff 110 percent.
“I play basketball and baseball,” he continued. “And I still fish and hunt. For the rest of this summer I’m going to Miners games, having friends over and getting ready for eighth grade baseball season.”
So, life is normal again, right?
“That’s hard to say,” said Page. “From then to now, I’m not sure how I can compare … a lot of things have changed so much. It’s hard to say what normal is.
“But I’ve learned a lot,” he continued. “I’ve learned not to take things for granted, I’ve learned to do the best I can and to not be lazy, and I’ve learned you have to make everything you can out of the things in your life.”
There is a website dedicated to Page’s story and his recovery — www.bennettpage.org — you can keep track of his progress and give words of encouragement on the site.
But maybe the best thing you can do for Bennett Page is treat him like any other 14-year old kid … ‘cause that’s what he is, a kid that has had to grow up way too fast under difficult conditions.
That’s exactly what I tried to do when I sat down with him one-on-one for an interview this week and I’m so glad we were able to schedule some time to meet around his trip to King’s Island.
Because getting to know kids like Bennett Page is why I love my job.
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